Definitions And Usage
(A) A “VOW” or “Virtual Office Website” is a Participant’s Internet website, or a feature of a Participant’s website, through which the Participant is capable of providing real estate brokerage services to consumers with whom the Participant has first established a broker-consumer relationship (as defined by state law) where the consumer has the opportunity to search MLS Listing Information, subject to the Participant’s oversight, supervision, and accountability. References to “VOW” and “VOWs” include all VOWs, whether operated by a Participant, by a non-principal broker, or by an AVP on behalf of a Participant.
(B) “Participant,” as used in Section 20 of these rules, includes a Participant’s affiliated non-principal brokers, except when the term is used in the phrases “Participant’s consent” and “Participant’s oversight, supervision, and accountability.” A non-principal broker affiliated with a Participant, except one subject to a fee waiver under Section 6.1, may, with his or her Participant’s consent, operate a VOW. Any VOW of a non-principal broker is subject to the Participant’s oversight, supervision, and accountability.
(C) “AVP” or “Affiliated VOW Partner” refers to an entity or person designated by a Participant to operate a VOW on behalf of the Participant, subject to the Participant’s supervision, accountability and compliance with the VOW Policy. No AVP has independent participation rights in the MLS by virtue of its right to receive information on behalf of a Participant. No AVP has the right to use MLS Listing Information except in connection with operation of a VOW on behalf of one or more Participants. Access by an AVP to MLS Listing Information is derivative of the rights of the Participant on whose behalf the AVP operates a VOW.
(D) “MLS Listing Information,” as used in Section 20 of these rules, refers to active, pending, and off-market listing information and sold data provided by Participants to the Service and aggregated and distributed by the Service to Participants.
(E) “VOW Policy” means the Virtual Office Website Policy of the Service, adopted pursuant to the requirements of the National Association of REALTORS®.
(F) “Registrant” has the meaning given to it in Section 20.3(a)(i).
(G) “Terms of use” has the meaning given to it in Section 20.3(d).